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Children’s Minnesota is one of the leading pediatric-focused health systems across the nation with a pharmacogenomics program that began in 2016. PGx tells us how differences in our genes may affect how we respond to various medicines. By understanding these differences, your child’s care team can personalize certain medicines by choosing a different dose or finding an alternative medicine. This approach to medicine can lower side effects and may make treatments more effective for your child.
Our current medical practice uses a “one-size-fits-all” or “standard dose” approach for medicines. However, not everyone responds the same way to the same medicine. Unfortunately, for some children, the medicine doesn’t work, and for others, side effects that occur make them feel worse.
Everyone has their own unique genetic makeup, which can make us respond differently to the same medicine. Many different things can affect how your child responds to medicines, such as remembering to take the medicines as prescribed, other medicines your child is taking, age, sex assigned at birth, other conditions in the body, and your child’s genes. We specialize in understanding how your child’s genetic test results impact medicines to determine the right medicine and dose for your child.
While our genes are important to see how we respond to medicines, we also look at other factors like age, weight, and health history. By looking at all these factors, we use precision medicine to create personalized care plans for your child.
Pharmacogenomics is one of the ways we at Children’s Minnesota use genetic testing to provide precision medicine for children.
Learn more about what to expect in your first clinic visit.
To meet with a pharmacogenomics pharmacist and genetic counselor.
Genes are instructions that tell your body how to work. Each gene is responsible for a specific task, like breaking down medicines. However, there are different versions of each gene, leading to unique variations in how our bodies respond to medicines. By learning which genetic variants your child has, pharmacogenomic testing can help your care team understand how your child’s body processes medicines. This allows providers to create personalize care plans, choose the right drugs, and find the correct doses to reduce side effects and improve treatment.
A laboratory test that looks at your child’s PGx genes is called “PGx testing”. Our PGx team can help arrange for this testing if appropriate. Pharmacogenomics testing uses blood, saliva, or cheek swab to look for different versions of genes that affect how the body breaks down (metabolizes) and may respond to medicines. Some of these differences in genes make people metabolize medicines more quickly and others make people metabolize medicines more slowly. This can explain why some people don’t respond to standard doses of medicines and others experience side effects.
Coverage of pharmacogenomics testing varies by insurance provider. Check with your insurance plan if PGx testing is a covered service. If PGx testing is not covered, other self-pay or “cash” price options may be available.
Our research team at Children’s Minnesota is at the forefront of exploring how genes affect medicine responses in children. Our studies are helping to advance personalized medicine and improve treatment outcomes for kids with a variety of conditions.
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